The Colorado Senate debated a bill on Friday that would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, places of public accommodation, consumer credit, labor unions and school enrollment. It became heated when Republican Senator Greg Brophy offered up a ‘stunt’ amendment to the bill that would ban discrimination against short people:
“The debate on the Senate floor over a bill that would expand the prohibition of sexual orientation-based discrimination became personal and emotional this morning after a senator offered a rhetorical amendment to ban discrimination against short people. Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, withdrew the stunt amendment after arguing that there is no need for the bill because he has not seen evidence that gays and lesbians are discriminated against when seeking a job or a home. ‘What I’m talking about is economic discrimination, political discrimination, employment discrimination,’ Brophy said. ‘I find no pattern of any of those.’ Brophy’s comments outraged Democrats, who took turns at the lectern denouncing his argument with angry and sometimes shaking voices.
Said Jennifer Veiga, a gay Denver Democrat sponsoring Senate Bill 200: “It must be nice, as a white male to sit back and mock the real discrimination that occurs in our society, especially on the basis of sexual orientation.”
Lawmaker uses short people to question gay-bias bill [denver post]
